New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-09-25
THE BIG ELI ~ CITY HALL PARK.
ITS HISTORY TOLDBY A KEEPER-AN OLD TREl
,..L.->.

ITS HISTORY TOLD ny A KEEPER-AN OLD Ihbb
WHEN THE CENTURY BEGAN.
An old park keeper was busy few evenings ago
gathering up the dead leaves and bits OF paper whch
had collected Jund the foot of the big elm at uc
northwest corner Of the City Hall The trunk Of the
has the entire Of the lawn all to ITSELF It
rises In a massive shaft thirty feet above the lawn
before branching and the base the trunk bulges out
In great rolls OF bark over the stone curb and the
roots large the beams used In an ordinary Duld-
Ing stretch away and bury themselves In the earth
When tho tree is In full leaf 1t Is now its great
green dome is the best kind of sunshade for the
northwest corner OF the city Hall. The window Of
tic Aldermcn's Chamber is always sheltered by 1t
from tho hot rays, making 1t one Of the coolest
places In the building. The seat that Is pl aced under
tic Tree Is tho favortc place for frequentes OF the
park during the day, and OH hot nights parties Of
italian ,,tth bare heads aud bright shaws camp
under the tree and let thor chdron roll and tumble
on the grass.
when the keeper had picked up every scrap Of litter
and deposited all In a basket be carried away he
laid the rake carefully the ground at the root Of
the trunk and scanned lt thOughtfuly as though ne
taking tie Of the tree with yard stick
In to the question of pIsser-by he looked up
keeping hold OF the raIio handle to make his measure
mcnt.
yes, sir" said he 10 he n good four feet In all
and If take In all the roots where they come above
tho ground yOu'l find the ure Is good five feet
through and fifteen feet around I've measured IT
Ofcn. I've known the old tree now since 1860.
before tie broke out was young man then
and lvel down the east side He's growed some
since, but he big tree then and he's CROWN
yet. He's the biggest in tho city now and II he's
taken good Of thco's teln' how long he Will
live. Some u them keepers though used tD let the
bench sit right back against tn tree. | moved II
away but the people would get 1t back tlcre You
what great big welt rs male him. Where the
back Of the bench has rested tie bark has grown out
Ike big wart. l let people enjoy tie shade but
what's the use Of abusing the treei'
Have you any idea how oil the tree Is 7" he
asked
On law, no! l guess nobody else has. one time
four five years ago old gentleman named Dodge,
a real nice 81 and spry for MS years came aud
sat down the bench under the Old tire. He tOli
me- how WHEN the city Hall but they male lt
~ brOwn-One In the back Instead Of marble like the
Chambrr~-t Tie city was all country ana they dlun 70
need marble fronts. The old gentleman said that tho
city Hall wa, but In 1SO4 or 1903 and thi- tree was
then a good big tree and the contractors had special
ructions to he careful AMI 10 njure II when
they were building They wasn't allowed 10 fasten
any r.urs around tho tree Yes that's the same old
at broadway and thirty tfth->t Tut the statue don't
Iool, half spry he dd. There's some people who
year less than 100 years old and he l. sim young
tree and may live TO be 500 Years old Where VIII
We all 10 then. Grarions!'
the leaves of the elm AMI conrnucd Yea -ir, sup
pos this trco has -ccn Gcorr, Washington and ne
British troops during tho Revolution I've hcarl IL
said old Ross" Tweed thought good bit Of it too.
and he used to IT ont here often OF hot summer
nights when the Court House wa going up thore
stops and looks at u when he goes this way one
day l heard him he'd give 81 900 10 have this
from vi -hln though and they l.c long time 10 grow
10 be veteran HE MS one"